Steering-gear.



No. 845,127. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907., F. J. SOHIELE.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1906.

UN gil rlll lhh i iiijl lh FREDERICK J. SCI-IIELE, or srnaeusn, newroan.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented "set. 2c, 1907.

Application filed March 31,1906. Serial llo. 309,206.

l l I l l i This invention relates to certain improve- 1 ments insteering-gear for self-propelled veother end is provided in thisinstance with a hicles involving the use of a rack and pinion andsuitable connections for transmitting motion from the steering-post tothe steeringwheels of the vchicle,'i1'1 combination with 1 an automaticfriction-brake ior prcventmg retroaction of the steering post andwheels. In this class of devices it is desirable to provide means forpreventing, as far as practicable, undue vibration or oscillation of thesteering-wheels and their controlling moch anisms, as the steering-postand hand-wheel, so that when the steering-wheels are once set to travelin one direction -as, for instance,v

straightawaythey will be automatically retained in such position untilfurther adjusted by the steering-wheel.

My object, therefore, is to produce a simple, "practical, and ellicientsteering-gear which may be easily and quickly adjusted to shift thewheels to any desired angle and Which, together with the wheels, areautomatically held in their adjusted position. against retroaction. inother words, I have sought to utilize this tendency toward retroactionto instantly throw into action a friction retarding device or brake toprevent undue oscillation of the steering-wheels from their adjustedposition and to thereby relieve in a measure the operator from continuedwatchfulness and strenuous grip upon the hand-wheel.

Another object is to provide a steeringgear with as few parts andflexing joints as may be practicable, so as to reduce the cost ofmanufacture and at the same time to increase the durability and workingelliciency of the operating parts.

Other objects relating to the specific structure and arrangement'of theparts of the steering-gear will be brought out in the followingdescription.

In the drawings, Figure 1-is a vertical sec tional view, partly brokenaway, of a steering-gear embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2is a horizontal sectional view taken on line-2 2 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and4 are perspective views, respectively, of the upper and lower gear-casesections.

The operating parts of my improved steering-gear comprise, essentially,an upright steering-post 1, a pinion 2, and brake-wheel or friction-disk3, both of which are secured to the,l0wer end of the steering-post 1,and a lever 4, having at one end a toothed segment 5, meshing w th thepinion 2, while its ball 6 for receiving a split socket 7 on a link 8,which latter is adapted to be connected in any desired manner to thesteering-wheels. (Not shown.)

The pinion 2 and friction-disk or brakewheel 3, together with theadjacent ends of the steering-post 1 and lever 4, are inclosed in asuitable gear-case, comprising a lower section 9 and an upper section10, both of which are preferably made of cast metal and aresubstantiallycircular in general outline and concentric with the axis ofthe steeringpdst.

The lower gear-case section 9 is formed with an annular hearing orfriction face 11, concentric with the axis of the steering-post ,and ofsubstantially the same diameter as that of the disk 8. The pinion 2 anddisk. 3 are rigidly united and are preferably cast integral with eachother and rigidly secured to the'lower end of the steeringpost 1 betweenthe lower and upper gear-case sections 9 and it), the disk 3 having asnug but easy running fit with the annular bearing 13. and is the onlymeans for rct ing the lot end of the steering-post against radialvibrationthat is, the lower end of the steering-- post with the disk andpinion thereon is free l to move radially as much as the disk 3 andcoacting bearing-face 11 will permit, so that if any radial. pressure isapplied to the disk toward the axis of the post the diametricallyopposite face of such disk will be pressed with the same degree of forceagainst the adjacent bearing-face 11. It is evident, however, that whenthe steering-post is retated about its axis the annular face 11 forms aconcentric hearing for the disk 3, and consequently steadies the lowerend of the steering-post in its rotation.

The upper gear-case section 10 is fitted upon and secured to the topface of the lower section!) and is provided with a centralupwardly-projecting hollow boss12, no

-IOO

- steering-pest.

jecting tubular casing 13, having a greater interior diameter than theexterior diameter of the steering-post, so as to leave an intervenlngspace communicating with the m' terior of the gear-case, said tube 13form1ng a continuation or upwardextension of the gear-case to inclosethe greater portion of the This steerlngpost extends some distance abovethe upper end of the tube, and has secured thereto a handewheel 14,.having its hub formed with depending annular flanges 15 and 16, theflange 15 having an easy running ,t withln the upper end of the tube 13and together with the outer flange 16, which has a similar easy runningfit upon the exterior of the upper end of the tube 13, serve to keepvthe upper ends of the tube and steering'post concentric with each other.These flanges 15 and 16, however, are com 'aratively short, thus leavingthe lower en of the steering-post free to move a sufficient distanceradially to allow the friction-face of the brake-wheel 3 to be broughtinto frictional engagemeht with the bearing 11 when external radialpressure is applied to the steering-post or parts which are secured toits lower end. This radial pressure and consequent frictional engagementof the brake wheel or disk 3 against the bearing-face 1-1 is broughtabout by the tendency to retroaction of the steering-wheels through itsconnection with the lever 4-, as will be made apparent in the followingdescription.

The lever 4, which-may be made of forged or cast metal, is providedintermediate its ends with opposite integral bosses or trunnions 17,which fit in suitable sockets 18in the meeting faces of the lower andupper gear-case sections 9 and 10, thereby/avoiding .the use of pivotalbolts and enabling the lever'to be readily clamped between the twogear-case sections, which are secured together by suitable fasteningmeans, as

olts 19. I

The toothed rack or segment 5 is preferabl integral with the lever 4 andconcentric Wit the axis of the said lever, with its teeth in mesh withthe pinion 2, while the opposite end of the said lever extends somedistance outside of the gear-case through a suitable.

opening 20 in the lower case-section 9, and is provided with a terminalend, as the ball 6, for attachment to the draw-rod 8.

It is now obvious that by rotating the steering-post 1 b means of thehand-wheel 14 the disk 3 or rake-wheel is similarly retated upon thesame axis,it being held in this position by its running fit with thebearing 11, and the pinion 2 is therefore rotated with a minimumresistance'to transmit oscillatory motion to the lever 4, "suchactionbeing rendered easier by reason of the fact that the. pi 'on is usuallyof less pitch diameter than thetack 5', with which itmeshes, therebyenabling the'wheels to be turned or adjusted at will with acomparatively light power. On the other hand, any tendency towardretroaction of the wheels from their adjusted position, as in passingover obstacles or rough pavements, applies a lateral pressure upon theouter end of the lever 4 through the medium of the link (:I draw red 8,which in sure upon the gear or pinion 2 through the medium of the teethor the rack 5 intermeshing therewith, and this-tangential and radialpressure forces the periphery of the disk or brake-wheel 3 intofrictional engagement with the annular bearing-face 11, such pressurebeing in direct proportion to the power operating to turn the wheelsfrom their adjusted position, thereby frietionally resisting thetendency of the wheels to turn fromsuch adjusted positions. Thisresistance is particularly effective when one or the other vof thewheels encounters an obstruction, because the force of impact of thewheels with such. obstruction is instantly transmitted to the disk toforce the latter into frictional engageme'nt with the annularbearingface 11; but Ihave discovered that even when a confrom theiradjusted position the tangential or radial pressure which is brought tobear upon the pinion presses the disk against the bearing 11 withsufiicient force to effectually resist such turning, and I thereforebelieve that I am the first to combine a friction-disk with a rackand-pinion action of a steering mechanism in such manner that the diskmay turn freely when actuated by the steering-pcst and operates toresist retroaction when the power is applied to the wheels of thevehicle to turn them from their adjusted position.

WhatI claim is post and a concentric disk secured thereto and having aperipheral friction-face, a fixed annular bearing forming'afriction-face for the periphery of the disk, a pinion secured to thesteering-post and a toothed rack engaged by the pinion. i

2. In a steering mechanism a fixed annular bearing, a ,rotaryfriction-disk having its periphery engaging said hearing, a steeringpostoperatively connected to said disk for steering-post anda rock-armactuated by the pinion. I

3. In a steering mechanism, the combinawith each other, of a.frictiomdisk secured to one of the aforesaid parts, a'fixed bearing forthe friction disk and a steering-p0st con- 4-. In a steering mechanism afixed bearing iv disk having its periphery engaging said face,

turn produces atangential and radial presstant pressure is appliedtoturn the wheelstion with a rack and pinionintermeshing.

nected to and actuating the pinion and disk.

having an annular friction-face, a rotary 1. In a steering-gear, arotary steering- 7 actuating the same, a pinion rotated by the,

a pinion, a steering-post for rotating said pinion and disk, and a leverhaving a toothed rack engaged with the pinion.

5. In a steering mechanism a gear-case composed of sections, a leverhaving an integral boss journaled in one of the sections, asteering-post and means for transmitting motion from the steering-postto the lever.

6. In a steering mechanism a gear-case, a

tube secured to the case and projecting upwardly therefrom, asteering-post journaled at its upper end upon the tube and having l l ll 1 l its lower end free to move laterally in the case, afriotiomhearfng in the case, and a triotion-disk on the lower end of thesteeringpost Within the ease and having its periphery engaged with saidfriction-bearing.

in Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 28th day ofMarch, 1906 FREDERICK J. SCHIELE.

Witnesses:

F. EHARTHUR, H. E CHASE.

